Aug. 25, 2023, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet
Lahaina – Solidarity!
Painting of Moku’ula, near the center of Lahaina over 100 years ago
The artist’s name for that beautiful painting of Lahaina that existed 100 years ago is Janet Spreiter, a long-time Lahaina resident and artist who lost everything in the recent fire. Mahalo Janet for your wonderful art.
While we mourn the victims of the Lahaina fire, and support the families who have lost loved ones, their homes, historic sites, and so much more, let us reflect on Hawaii Island fire risks as well.
Just one year ago, a fire started on the military Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) in the dry center of Hawaii Island and burned more than 17,000 acres or 26.5 square miles. Fortunately, there was no immediate loss of life but there are serious concerns about what military toxins were blowing in the wind & smoke. There are also concerns about increasing fires at PTA, cultural and environmental damage from ongoing artillery and bombing at PTA, and the health risks from a wide range of military toxins like Depleted Uranium. More people are now speaking out about canceling, or not renewing, the state lease of 23,000 acres at Pohakuloa, and rescinding a 1964 Presidential executive order that seized 84,000 acres of Hawaiian crown and government lands at Pohakuloa. People want the Pohakuloa base shut down, the toxins cleaned up, and the land restored and returned to the Hawaiian people. Aloha e!
In its comments on the draft EIS for Pohakuloa lease renewal, the state Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands wrote, “it appears that military training is in direct conflict of the Conservation District designation.” “In 1989 the Sierra Club sued the Army on behalf of University of Hawaii at Hilo botanist Lani Stemmermann, who had visited an area of dryland forest in PTA in search of research sites to study native plants. Stemmermann found Army bulldozers leveling native naio and mamane trees for a new training range. A 1993 Army investigation found that while planning the range, officials cut corners during the survey process, intentionally limited access to scientists, and ignored recommendations by Army engineers that called for a comprehensive botanical study of the proposed site.”
“In 2019 the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled against the state in a lawsuit filed by the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. on behalf of Clarence “Ku” Ching and fellow Hawaiian activist Mary Maxine Kahaulelio. The court found state officials had failed to ensure the military upheld its duties to clean up Pohakuloa and had harmed Hawaiian cultural interests, and that “as trustee, the State must take an active role in preserving trust property and may not passively allow it to fall into ruin.” HonoluluStar-Advertiser, Nov. 13, 2022 Also see https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/naka-nathaniel-here-are-the-deeper-truths-about-maui/
Support Lahaina Now! Stop Bombing Pohakuloa Too!
1 . Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject violence & war as solutions. 3. Defend civil liberties.
4. Oppose all discrimination: anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Russian, anti-LGBTQ, etc. 5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760
Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts.
For more information see http://www.malu-aina.org
August 25, 2023, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1143– Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office
